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French verbs that take 'sur' where English doesn't use 'on'

Many French verbs are followed by sur. Sometimes that matches English: compter sur is to count on, se concentrer sur is to concentrate on. But very often English uses a different preposition, or no preposition at all. You press a button, but in French you press on it: appuyer sur le bouton. The police investigate a theft, but in French they investigate on it: enquêter sur le vol.

English speakers tend to translate word for word, so they drop the sur or swap it for à or de. This article groups the most useful sur verbs so you can learn them as fixed pairs.

Word list
cliquerB1 to click cliquer sur le lien = click the link jeter un coup d'œilB1 to glance jeter un coup d'œil sur mon texte = glance at my text régnerB1 to rule régner sur un pays = rule a country se concentrerB1 to focus se concentrer sur son travail = concentrate on one's work tirerB1 to shoot tirer sur qqn = shoot at someone appuyerB2 to push appuyer sur le bouton = press the button attirer l'attentionB2 to draw attention attirer l'attention sur = draw attention to compter surB2 to count on compter sur moi = count on me enquêterB2 to investigate enquêter sur un meurtre = investigate a murder insister surB2 to emphasize insister sur un point = stress a point mettre l'accent surB2 to emphasize mettre l'accent sur la sécurité = emphasize safety naviguerB2 to browse naviguer sur Internet = browse the internet parierB2 to bet parier sur un cheval = bet on a horse réfléchirB2 to reflect réfléchir sur un sujet = reflect on a subject revenir surB2 to reconsider revenir sur sa décision = reconsider one's decision s'entendreB2 to agree s'entendre sur un prix = agree on a price se focaliserB2 to focus se focaliser sur un détail = focus on a detail surferB2 to browse surfer sur le web = surf the web influerC1 to influence influer sur ma décision = influence my decision méditerC1 to reflect méditer sur la vie = reflect on life
How it works

With these verbs, sur introduces the thing the action is aimed at or presses down on: a button, a topic, a target, a person you rely on. The pattern is always the same: verb + sur + noun. When the object is a person, you keep sur and use a stressed pronoun: compter sur moi, tirer sur lui.

A useful rule of thumb: if the action lands on, focuses on, weighs on or covers something, French probably wants sur, whatever English does.

The words
Screens and buttons

English clicks a link and presses a key. French clicks and presses on them with cliquer sur and appuyer sur. You also browse on the internet: naviguer sur Internet or, more casually, surfer sur le web.

Clique sur le lien pour t'inscrire.
(Click the link to sign up.)
Appuyez sur le bouton rouge.
(Press the red button.)
Il passe ses soirées à naviguer sur Internet.
(He spends his evenings browsing the internet.)
Focus and emphasis

Se concentrer sur and se focaliser sur both mean to focus on. To stress a point, use insister sur or mettre l'accent sur. English draws attention to something, while French uses attirer l'attention sur. You have a look at something with jeter un coup d'œil sur.

Je n'arrive pas à me concentrer sur mon travail.
(I can't concentrate on my work.)
Le professeur a beaucoup insisté sur ce point.
(The teacher really stressed this point.)
Le rapport met l'accent sur la sécurité.
(The report emphasises safety.)
Elle veut attirer l'attention sur ce problème.
(She wants to draw attention to this problem.)
Tu peux jeter un coup d'œil sur mon texte ?
(Can you have a look at my text?)
Acting on something

English often uses a direct object here. French says enquêter sur (investigate), influer sur (influence), régner sur (rule, reign over) and tirer sur (shoot at).

La police enquête sur le vol.
(The police are investigating the theft.)
Le temps influe sur mon humeur.
(The weather affects my mood.)
Ce roi a régné sur le pays pendant trente ans.
(This king ruled the country for thirty years.)
Le policier n'a pas tiré sur le suspect.
(The police officer didn't shoot at the suspect.)
Relying, agreeing, reconsidering

Some of these match English: compter sur (count on), parier sur (bet on), s'entendre sur (agree on). Revenir sur does not match: revenir sur sa décision means to reconsider or go back on your decision. For deep thinking, you can réfléchir sur or méditer sur a subject.

Tu peux compter sur moi.
(You can count on me.)
Ils se sont entendus sur un prix.
(They agreed on a price.)
Watch out
  • Sur is not always the only option. Jeter un coup d'œil à is just as common as sur. Réfléchir à is the everyday way to say think about something, while réfléchir sur sounds more formal, like reflecting on a topic.
  • S'entendre sur means to agree on something. S'entendre avec quelqu'un means to get along with someone. The preposition changes the meaning.
  • Influer sur needs sur, but its near synonym influencer takes a direct object: influencer quelqu'un.
  • Tirer without sur often means to pull: tirer la porte is to pull the door. To shoot at a target, you need tirer sur.
  • The typical mistake is copying English: appuyer le bouton or enquêter le crime. Always add sur.

You will also meet tomber sur (to bump into, come across) and donner sur (to look out onto, as in a window overlooking the street), which follow the same pattern.

Summary

When an action presses on, focuses on, weighs on or covers something, French usually links it with sur, even when English uses no preposition (press the button, investigate the theft, rule the country) or a different one (draw attention to, shoot at). Learn these verbs as pairs: appuyer sur, cliquer sur, enquêter sur, insister sur, compter sur.